A level playing field: College readiness standards
Some of our assumptions about the growth and performance of students from high-poverty schools relative to their peers from wealthier schools may be challenged in this data gallery, where you can explore how school poverty level interacts with student growth, college readiness, and college access.
By: Michael Dahlin, Beth Tarasawa
Topics: Equity, College & career readiness
Moving from data to making a difference
The problems faced within education resemble the problems in many social settings in that they lack clear definitions, have many potential causes, lack simple solutions, and defy straightforward measurement. In this article, Andrew Hegedus shares a view on the types of problems faced in education and outlines key characteristics of a process that begins with collecting data and ends with evaluating progress.
By: Andrew Hegedus
Topics: Empowering educators, High school, High-growth schools & practices
Using test scores for teacher evaluation: Why caution is necessary
This article offers insight and guidance on issues to think about before tests are used as an evaluation tool and to help ensure better choices are made about the role test scores play in a teacher’s evaluation.
Topics: Empowering educators, Student growth & accountability policies
An investigation of examinee test-taking effort on a large-scale assessment
Most previous research involving the study of response times has been conducted using locally developed instruments. The purpose of the current study was to examine the amount of rapid-guessing behavior within a commercially available, low-stakes instrument.
By: Steven Wise, J. Carl Setzer, Jill R. van den Heuvel, Guangming Ling
Topics: Measurement & scaling, School & test engagement, Student growth & accountability policies
A level playing field: College readiness standards
This study examines the academic growth of 35,000 elementary and middle school students in 31 states—all of them high achievers within their own schools—over a three-year period.
By: Michael Dahlin, Beth Tarasawa
Topics: Equity, College & career readiness
Developing more meaningful definitions of college readiness
Complementing traditional quantitative measures with more qualitative tools can help determine college and career readiness.
By: John Cronin, Michael Dahlin
Do high flyers maintain their altitude? Performance trends of top students
In this study from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, achievement trends from NWEA’s longitudinal growth database were used to track students who scored at or above the 90th percentile on this assessment in order to see if they maintained their high achievement.
By: Yun Xiang, Michael Dahlin, John Cronin, Robert Theaker, Sarah Durant
Topics: Equity, High-growth schools & practices